Car-coupling-locking mechanism.



w. l1. REGAN. CAR COUPLING LOCKING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 12| 1916- Ptented Apr. 17, 1917.

m mu a SYLVANIA.

CAR-COUPLIN Gr-LOCKIN G MECHANISIVI.

Specieation o'f Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 17, 1917.

Application filed December 12, 1916. Serial No. 136,495.

To all whom t may concern:

'Be it known that I, 1WILLIAM J. REGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have and useful Improvements in Car-Coupling- Locking Mechanism; and I do hereby declare the following' to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same.

y invention relates car couplers, and is e pecially designed to afford means for maintaining the coupler lock in locking relationv to the knuckle whenever the coupler head is tilted or rotated laterally from its normal position to any such extent as might induce an unlocking movement of the lock, as, for instance, when the coupler is turned partially or completely over in dumping the contents of the car; and to this end my invention, generally stated, involves the combination with a couplerhead, its knuckle, and a lock which projects outside of the coupler, of la plurality of pendant dogs pivotally mounted on the coupler-head on opposite sides ofthe projecting lock, and adapted to be brought into engagement with the lock member by a rotation of the coupler-head.

In the drawings chosen for the purpose of illustrating my invention, the scope whereof 'is pointed out in the claims,

Figure l is a front elevation of a car coupler embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the coupler, a portion of its stem being brokenl off.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the coupler as shown in Figs. l and 2.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation, the coupler having been turned angle `of 180O to the normal.

Fig. 5 is a detail view, in front elevation, of a modified form of my invention.

Like symbols refer to like partswherever they occur.

I will now proceed to describe my invention more fully so that others skilled in the art to which same.

In the drawings,

it appertains may apply the l indicates av coupler invented certain new to improvements in upside-down or at an means of which the lock is raised to release the knuckle in the uncoupling operation. Through the lower end of the lock 4, below the bottom wall of the coupler-head, a Cotter pin 6 or its equivalent is passed to prevent accidental withdrawal or loss of the lock.

0n the under surface of the bottom wall of the coupler-head on opposite sides of and adjacent to the opening through which the lower end of the lock projects are cast or otherwise formed ears or lugs 7 7 on which are pivoted pendant pawls or dogs 8, 8 which are adapted to swing freely toward and from the lower end of the lock member 4, and which, as shown in Fig. 4, are of sufficient length to engage the retaining cotter 6 and prevent an unlocking operation of said lock when the coupler head is rotated laterally to such an extent as would tend to induce an unlocking movement of the lock 4.

Instead of having the pawls 8 arranged to engage the Cotter 6 of the lock 4, the sides of the lower end of the lock-member may be notched, or shouldered, as at 9, as shown in Fig. 5 ofthe drawing, to receive the free ends of the pawls.

I claim: Y

l. The combination with a coupler-head, and knuckle pivoted thereon,` of pendant dogs pivotally connected with the bottom wall of the.coupler-head, and a lock which projects through the bottom wall of the coupler-head intermediate of the said dogs, said dogs being adaptedupon rotation 0f said coupler-head to engage and prevent unlocking of said lock.

2. The combination with a coupler-head and knuckle, of a plurality of dogs movably connected to the bottom wall of the couplerhead, Vand a lock which projects below the bottom Wall of the ooupleiheacl between the said dogs and is provided with means oi engaging said dogs to prevent an unlocking operation of Said look.

3. 'Ihe combination with a coupler-head and knuckle, of a look for retaining Said knuckle in coupled position, and means for Copies of this patent may be obtained for preventing said look from moving to unlocked position, Said means being mounted upon the coupler-head and being adapted to engage said look through a lateral rotation of said head.

` In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature.

WILLIAM J. REGAN.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

